


Virtual Harmony

by KatJumpedOverTheMoon



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - High School, Music, Musicians, Science Fiction, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatJumpedOverTheMoon/pseuds/KatJumpedOverTheMoon
Summary: In the not-so-distant future, Sunset Curve rocks out on the world stage as one of the most sensational bands. On the virtual platform HoloDream, they play to sold-out crowds of millions every week. The thing is....their real identities are a mystery. They could be real musicians somewhere out there. Some even whisper rumors that the band is just a digital creation, a group of handsome yet virtual phantoms. But Julie stumbles upon the truth.
Relationships: Alex & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Luke Patterson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 21
Kudos: 129





	1. 1

“Take off, last stop!”

The pulse and rhythm of the music. The roar of the crowd. It’s pounding in her ears.

“Count down til we blast open the top!”

The band’s bright, dazzling voices ring out in the stadium. Energy and vigor is in the air.

“Face first, full charge..”

The crowd goes wild. 

17-year-old Julie Molina is in this wild crowd. She jumps up and down, fully immersed within the waves of punk-rock, caught up in the excitement. Her best friend Flynn is right there beside her, cheering along. They both giggle and bump shoulders as they’re cheering.

“Electric hammer to the heart!”

Julie swears the lead singer is staring straight at her. He’s whipping his glorious full head of hair, playing each chord with enthusiasm and passion. The electric blue guitar shimmers like it’s made of glass under the stage lights.

Her heart is thumping loudly, like a drum, as though it’s in line with the rhythm. She never wants to leave this moment.

As the band smoothly transitions to the next verse, Julie starts to sing along. Softly at first, then at the top of her lungs.

“Clocks move forward..”

“Julie? Are you there?!”

The shrill, small voice of her little brother breaks her away from the sounds and the elation of the moment. Inwardly, she groans. Not now...

“Julie!!” Her brother calls again.

Flynn looks at her funny, giving her a sideways glance.

“Hold on, think I have to go,” Julie mouths to her. Flynn waves a regretful goodbye at her, as the song is still going on.

Julie pulls off her VR headset. The echos of the stadium, the pulse of the rock music, the sound of cheers, all come to an abrupt stop. She peels off her VR gloves, left hand first, then the right. The sensor lights go dark.

She was just in the middle of a virtual concert with her favorite band, Sunset Curve. Now what does Carlos want?

“Carlos, what do you want now?” Julie sighs. “I was at a concert with Flynn.”

“I want a bedtime story!” The 8-year-old boy looks at her with puppy dog eyes. “Pleeease.”

Julie groans. “Fine. You get one.”

“Yay! Can we read the one about the Zorro again? Ya, en garde!” Carlos pretends to slash an invisible sword.

“Alright, let’s go Carlos.” Julie laughs and walks him to his room. Carlos can be annoying, but he’s still her little brother.

She hopes reading to Carlos would be a nice family distraction anyway. She can’t get too addicted to the game, or her VR console in general. Even if it’s the only way to hang out with her friends from her old school, and see Sunset Curve together of course. 

Ever since her family moved to a new town over the summer, Julie’s life has been turned upside down, and she’s feeling thrown off her usual routine. 

She misses Flynn and the others, and her mom most of all. Even though Mom’s been gone for seven years already. It feels like just yesterday with Mom played piano at their old house and sang to her.

“Chapter One: The Sword and the Rose... Julie opens the book and starts to read.

Carlos snuggles into his bed, listening earnestly.

As she reads, Julie can’t help but feel like maybe she’s like the adventurer Zorro. Onto new horizons and new adventures, she hopes. 

Yet she longs for the time she can get back to her game again. She yawns. The vision of the band members, the mysterious Luke, Alex, and Reggie, rocking out on their virtual stage to fans all around the world, appears in her mind’s eye. 

Maybe tomorrow, another concert.

Another session in HoloDream, the VR game where anything is possible.

As Julie reads her little brother to sleep, the digital console still blinks in her room. The green light’s pulsing like a heartbeat. And ever so faintly, the dreamy sounds of Sunset Curve from somewhere unknown and far away blasting...  
  
  
  



	2. 2

“And rise through the night..”

Luke Patterson strums a few chords on his guitar as he sings softly. The instrument is hooked up to the VR console that’s sat on his desk for the past year. Last year’s gaming model, but excellent nonetheless. 

Music’s been his passion ever since he learned to walk and talk. He was singing by the time he was two. Naturally growing up, he’d played a slew of instruments—piano, drums, guitar—finally settling on guitar as his favorite. 

He always assumed he’d finish high school, score a deal with a record company, and make it big. As it turned out, life didn’t happen like that. Sure, he’d formed a band—Sunset Curve—with his best friends in the whole world and they’ve been inseparable since then, always making music. 

Yet his parents never quite saw the appeal. Never fully believed in his dream. Though it’d hurt sometimes, he’d done what they wanted and enrolled in the local college to take courses in finance. Convince them he’d consider a more “serious profession”. But all too often, his mind was far from studying, even now in his sophomore year. He only cared about the music and nothing else.

And HoloDream—the VR game that everyone, well almost everyone in a certain age range was playing nowadays, turned out to be the ticket to his dreams. Exposure to millions of listeners, and seeing firsthand, at least in virtual space, how music can change lives. It was everything he could dream and infinitely better than nothing. He often wished for nothing more than to do that in real life too. 

An F power chord rings out, then a C power chord, clean and bright. Luke strikes a D chord and starts murmur-singing the chorus to the new song that Sunset Curve was working on. 

“You and I, we will fight to shine…” 

His voice is mellow yet tingled with emotion. It’s half past eleven. Another typical late night for Luke, practicing until his hands cramped, but he doesn’t give up for anything, not even morning classes the next day. 

The lyrics don’t feel complete just yet. What is the song missing? Songwriter’s block hits him deep sometimes.

His phone buzzes with a new notification. Luke waves a gesture to open the message. Hovering in projected letters above the phone, the hologram reads “Rehearsing now! Are you ready?” It’s his bandmate, Reggie. 

Luke taps a quick reply, then puts on his headset, ensuring his guitar is plugged in too, before initializing the game. The console blinks on with a whirl and a flash of blue light. 

\---

  
It’s only a brief second or two, a quick fade from darkness, before the sounds and visuals appear in his field of vision. He blinks and he’s now standing in the band’s usual practice spot: the Sunset Curve recording studio. It’s cooler than anything he could ever afford in real life: colorful guitars hanging on soundproofed walls, with lots of plush rugs and couches.

“Luke! Where you been, dude?” Reggie greets him. 

A smile spreads across Luke’s face at the sight of his bandmate, Reggie. While the band mates were inseparable since high school, in recent times it’s gotten more difficult to meet in person, now that they’ve all gone to separate colleges. Only in virtual space can they regularly hang out and practice together like old times.

Reflecting his oft-playful nature, today Reggie’s avatar is wearing a ridiculous teddy bear mask.

“What? This mask was on sale today!” Reggie shrugs when Luke gives him a once-over. Reggie’s new favorite activity in the game, next to playing bass guitar, was shopping for the coolest items to bling out his avatar.

“Hey where’s Alex?” Luke asks. The group just isn’t the same without their favorite drummer.

“He’s got work tonight. The night shift at that pizza joint again,” Reggie sighs and picks up his bass, plucks a few strings. The instrument is a custom make, shining in a silvery rainbow color. After all, anything can look like anything in the game, within reason.

“Aw, well, we’ll jam with him tomorrow then,” Luke grins and picks up his guitar. Despite the possibilities for anything extravagant, he couldn’t resist making his in-game guitar look just like his real one: a brilliant blue Stratocaster.

The album release won’t be for another month, but they’re doing everything they can to prepare. Not to mention the next concert is this weekend at the Audio Arena. It’s the usual tracklist, so Luke isn’t too worried. He just wants to give it his all, as he does with every performance, living for the moment with the listeners.

They’re jamming out for a bit, first on the band’s lead single Now or Never, then on Late Last Night. 

Some days, the melodies come together so easily, and their individual energies build each other up to the point where the resulting harmony of sounds is sublime. When he sings, he feels like he’s floating on air and lost within the music. Luke isn’t so sure he feels that inspiration tonight. Maybe it’s because rehearsal just isn’t the same with one band member missing. Well, make that two, with what went down with Bobby a year ago. But they’d moved on since then, though the band hasn’t been the same since.

Luke shakes his hair everywhere, virtually, trying to get in the zone. The song ends with one final run of the chorus. He plays a little ending riff on his guitar. 

“Whew! When the album drops, it’s gonna be so lit!” Reggie says.

Luke nods, determined. “Music’s always gonna come first. And we’re doing it for the listeners.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Reggie shoulder bumps him. “And just think of the all the cute girls who’ll show up at the concert!” 

Luke rolls his eyes and grins good-naturedly, bumping him back. 

It’s about an hour or so of playing before they call it quits for the night. Reggie yawns. 

“Great playing! Think I’m gonna crash.”

“Later, dude.” Luke waves. Reggie’s virtual avatar dissolves from view as he logs off.

\---

  
Before heading off to sleep himself, Luke decides to explore the town in his local vicinity. There’s virtual mega-cities hosted on the global servers, with players all over the world. But there’s also the local servers, where players located closely within physical distance can interact. Sometimes, Luke just loves the small-town feel of these smaller servers. 

Sometimes his bandmates tag along, but tonight he’ll wander on his own for a bit before bedtime. He still has his finance class tomorrow morning, after all, as much as he doesn’t want to go.

Luke, or rather his in-game avatar, steps out onto the street after leaving the recording studio. The autumn wind whips realistically around his shaggy, dark-brown hair. With a quick swipe of his inventory menu, Luke dons a disguise to hide his avatar’s identity. While running into fans can be a treat at times, he decides he’d like a quick and quiet jaunt around town tonight. 

Even in the late hours, many players are still milling about. Some are interacting and conversing, other are standing still because they’re probably AFK.

Mimicking the vibe of a real town, the downtown area exudes a quaint vibe with old brick buildings and twinkling string lights. Cars pass by as the wind blows past him, so much so that he can almost feel the chill. He passes a cinema, a cafe, a few clubs and other virtual hangout spots. But it’s the soft, tinkling sound of piano music that make his ears perk with interest. The night wind carries the melody of the faint notes toward him.

Neon letters buzz with the letters “Echo Lounge”. It’s a faded brick facade, lit by black lanterns glowing dimly. Luke’s been here before with his bandmates, but he’s intrigued by the big hand lettered sign in front: “Open Mic Night Tonight!”

Pushing open the door to go inside, he’s finally found the source of the music.

“You got living to do  
And I just want you to do it”

A grand piano sits in the middle of the darkened lounge, on a raised dais. There’s an avatar of a girl on stage, playing to a hushed, full audience surrounding the center stage.

“So get up, get out, relight that spark  
You know the rest by heart..”

He’s transfixed by her playing at the piano. Her voice is like an angel’s, breathy and passionate. He can’t find his thoughts in the moment. 

“Wake up, wake up if it's all you do  
Look out, look inside of you”

As the player crescendoes to the chorus, it’s never really hit him before, meeting someone in the wild who’s simply in love with the music of the moment.

“It's not what you lost  
It's what you'll gain   
Raising your voice in the rain”

No autotune or effects like some prefer to do in the game, just her authentic and raw voice echoing in the virtual chamber. The energy and vibe she carries through leaves the audience spellbound. Her voice shines like a beacon in the night, and there’s a standing ovation when the song ends. 

Impressed by her performance, Luke wonders if he can talk to her before she goes. He steps toward the stage. 

The crowd begins dispersing, as people start chatting to each other or reacting with emotes about the performance. Many heart emojis in the public chat box, Luke sees. But the piano player herself, whoever she is, disappears from view. Her avatar fizzles out into thin air, signaling she’s logged out. 

Luke pauses in surprise, slightly intrigued by her sudden departure. Tingles of curiosity leave him wondering. He makes a mental note to come back, maybe with the band, for the next open mic night. A singer like her may be just the inspiration they need.


	3. 3

The sky is just beginning to melt into summer dusk. Julie walks into the local pizza place, with chimes ringing behind her as she pushes open the door.

Last night’s piano performance took quite an emotional load off her. Even if it was just a game, Julie feels like the experience was just as nerve-wracking yet as fulfilling as a real performance. 

Just for a moment, she almost forgot about having to go to a new school and all the complications that came with the new year. Flynn coming to visit her and stay over the weekend is just the cherry on top. 

As always, her best friend had been in the audience last night cheering her on, then texting her the whole time afterwards with messages like "You ROCKED gurl!!" and "The audience LOVED you. So proud and happy for you!!!! We need to start promoting you stat!" Julie felt a wave of gratitude wash over her for Flynn’s support back then.

Though she's not quite sure when she'll feel confident enough to really debut as an independent artist and start having regular performances and activities. It's not impossible to do in a world like HoloDream. Just like Sunset Curve, a band who started from obscurity and astonishingly rose to the top just through their in-game popularity. Maybe they're just the inspiration she needs to get started on her own musical dreams.

“Hi there. Could I get one extra-large cheese pizza to go?” she asks the person at the counter. 

Since Flynn is coming over later this evening for a sleepover, Julie figures she might as well pick up dinner for everyone to share.

A tall guy with wavy blonde hair underneath a backwards cap turns around from the counter to take her order. 

“Sure thing!”

Out of curiosity, Julie looks back there and sees he's the only person who's both making the pizzas and taking the orders. A dozen circles of rolled and flattened pizza dough are prepared on the counter. The worker wipes a smudge of flour off his apron with a gloved hand, only to succeed in spreading more flour around in a small cloud of dust. He takes off his gloves to use the register.

"Will that be all for you, miss?" he asks. His manner appears very polite and calm despite the many orders waiting to be prepared by him. 

"Yes. Oh and a large Sprite," she answers. She drums her fingers on the counter. "Um, busy day?"

"Yeah, tell me about it," he laughs. A small name tag on his apron reads "ALEX". "My co-worker called in sick, so it's just me today."

"Oh, you poor thing," Julie says half-jokingly, though she feels for him.

"Ah, I'm used to it," The worker named Alex sighs as he rings her up. Julie pays for her food and takes the receipt.

Suddenly the door chimes ring again as two other people walk in.

“Alex!”

They seem to know the cashier.

The worker stops what he’s doing and turns around with a look of surprise and delight. “Hey!”

Two young guys, who look like they might be college students, come up and hug the worker. They seem delighted to see each other, as they all slap each other on the back and grin.

“Wasn’t expecting you guys to turn up!” Alex exclaims.

Julie sits for a little bit, in one of the plastic chairs by the counter, as she casually overhears their chatter. 

“Yeah we figured we’d wanna come visit you,” the one with wavy brown hair under an orange beanie nudges him. He gives off a jovial and playful manner, like an overexcited puppy.

“We can finally play together, my dudes!” The other one with shorter dark hair and wearing a leather jacket says.

“You bet! You guys can even crash at my place if you want,” Alex offers, leaning on the counter.

“Oh yeah, we didn’t even get to see your sweet new pad yet. How’s the roomie?”

The boys’ voices are so familiar, but Julie just can’t quite place them. It couldn’t be...no. Could it be? The voices of her favorite band of all time? She’s only ever heard the band’s singing voices in the game. 

Yet she feels like she could recognize them anywhere. It’s not like the band uses their real names in the game, just their usernames that can be changed at will in the game. One day the lead singer’s _string_shredder101_ , the next day he’s _hotdogfan22_. There’s always an element of surprise and mystery, adding to the fun of it all. What are the odds it's really _them_?

“Well, more like housemate,” Alex shrugs. “He’s cool. He’s down to have you guys come over. He loves it when I practice my drums, actually. Big rock music fan, but I don’t let him catch on.” He puts a finger to his lips. The other guys grin. Julie raises her eyebrows.

“Does he play HoloDream?”

Julie’s ears perk up at the sound of her favorite VR game.

Alex shakes his head. “Nah, he’s kind of old school, I think. He’s into skating and playing these old things from decades ago called ‘CDs’, they’re kinda funny. His name’s Willie.”

“My man, Willie, let’s meet him!” Leather Jacket guy says.

They chatter on and banter for a few more minutes. From their conversation, Julie surmises the orange beanie guy’s name is Luke, and the one with a leather jacket is Reggie.

“Alrighty, when are we all ready to go rock the house?!” Reggie asks.

“Hold up, I’m on shift until 9 tonight,” Alex sighs.

“Need some help back in the kitchen?” Luke asks with a twinkle in his eye.

“Aw guys, come on, you know you can’t. It’s against regulations and everything.” Alex protests, but his pleading tone sounds like he really needs the help.

“We’ll just fold the pizza boxes and take the phone orders. See?” Reggie nods and folds his arms, just as the phone rings to prove his point.

Within a few minutes and before her eyes, Julie watches the kitchen transform as the three boys get to work. They’re very much in tune with each other, like a well oiled dream team. One is taking orders, the other preparing the food, and one packing the pizzas. Some new customers walk into the store, and the boys take their orders without batting an eye. Julie wonders if they’ve done this before.

Within a matter of minutes, Julie’s order is finally ready at the front. 

Her heart thuds. She’s got to say something before she goes. What if it’s really them? But she doesn’t want to make a mistake. _Nothing to lose. It’s now or never_. Julie’s hands shake a little as she takes the pizza box from Reggie’s hands.

“Excuse me, are you members of the band Sunset Curve?” 

Luke turns around. Reggie smiles. Alex looks up from rolling dough.

“And if we are?” Luke asks with an infectious grin.

“Oh my god.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays, dear readers! Had to take finals last week, so it's a bit of a shorter chapter this time. I hope to update more over the coming weeks, and I hope all of you are well and healthy! Thank you so much for the feedback, I really enjoyed reading each and every comment. This is my first fanfic in a long time, so I really appreciate being able to get back into writing with this new fandom. Rock on :)


	4. 4

“It was really them?!” Flynn squeals as she jumps up and down.

“I know, I can’t believe it either!” Julie shakes her head with disbelief and elation.

In the spacious kitchen, the two best friends share the pizza brought home as Julie excitedly recounts the encounter that’s happened less than an hour ago. Julie’s dad is still at work, having texted her earlier to say he’ll be home late. Carlos watches cartoons in the living room while slowly chewing a slice of pizza.

“They were _so_ nice. And they offered to sign this napkin when I asked.”

The autographed napkin, given to her by the boys, lays out on the table between them. Julie traces the curvatures and flourishes of each member’s signature with wide, astounded eyes. The slight awkwardness of the situation couldn’t hide how authentic and down to earth the boys were.

“Well, what happened after you met them? Did you ask them about their upcoming album? Did they say anything about the concert? Are they cute in real life?” Flynn peppers her with more questions. 

In high spirits, Julie fills her in on the details. No news about the album or concert yet. She wishes they could’ve talked longer, since the boys had been hard at work fulfilling orders. Luke said she was welcome to come watch them practice. Julie divulges all this and more, as she voices her thoughts aloud.

“Well, should we go?” she finally asks, as if it’s even a debatable question.

In secret, Julie wishes she could’ve said more coherent words at the time, rather than stammering and stumbling over her sentences. She remembers the warmth of the flush on her face during her brief interaction with the boys, especially Luke. 

Flynn put down her slice of pizza and looks at her incredulously.

“Duh! Of course!”

“I wouldn’t want to be intruding or annoying them…” Julie’s suddenly bashful, thinking of Luke. She definitely wants to see the band again, but her heart flutters restlessly at the thought. _Did I spazz out at the restaurant too much? The last thing they need is an obsessive fangirl getting in the way..._

“Julie. Girl.” Flynn gives her a disbelieving look and puts on puppy dog eyes. “We _have_ to go.”

“Well, they did give me the invite for their virtual studio too. They’re going to be practicing on there tonight.”

“Yeah, and...” Flynn nods, encouraging her on.

“So we could go log in to the game and meet them there!”

“Okay, it’s settled. We _have_ to go to that. And you gotta promise me you’ll see them again, and I can come too! For real. As in _real_ life,” Flynn begs. “Now tell me again, what are they like in real life? So the drummer really works at the pizza shop? Which member do you think is the cutest?” 

“Alright, one at a time,” Julie sighs and smiles. Naturally, she relishes the chance to launch into further storytelling and fangirling with her best friend as the evening wears on.

* * *

The sun sinks down into late evening as the girls sit in Julie’s bedroom. Julie grins and hands Flynn her second VR headset, before eagerly putting on her own. Since it’s not a school night, they can stay up a bit later and play the game. 

“Ready?” Julie asks. Flynn nods and Julie fires up the console with the push of a glowing button.

After Julie punches in the location code, the scene begins to fully load, pixel by pixel. A new and realistic scene opens up before her.

The first thing she hears is the sounds waves reverberating through her headset. Then, the full experience of the studio. Neon lighting glowing along the tops of the walls. The guitars on the wall. The plush carpets. Posters and other music memorabilia everywhere. Random game objects like laser guns or power gloves scattered about. _What is this wild place?_

Chord after chord, the powerful waves of rock music fill the air. The crash of the drums. The harmonized blasts of the bass and lead guitars. Julie nods her head to the catchy beat. Evidently, they've arrived in the middle of rehearsal.

Not wishing to disturb the band, they tiptoe to the couch and watch with astonished eyes. After a short while, the warm-up ends with a resounding finish.

“Hey! You made it!” Luke cheerfully walks over to welcome the two girls.

It’s undoubtedly him. His avatar looks so similar to his real life persona, now that Julie comes to think of it. Brown hair, casual hoodie, with his bright blue eyes locked on her. The cartoonish style of the game seems to befit his playful attitude. 

“Hi!” Julie squeaks back, both nervous and delighted.

“Hi, I’m Flynn,” her friend, ever the forward one, extends a hand to shake his.

“Thanks for coming to watch us play!” The bassist puts down his cherry-red bass guitar and comes to greet them. The drummer follows.

“That was amazing!” Flynn gushes, clasping her hands together.

“Thanks, I’m Reggie.” The bassist shakes their hands, grinning warmly.

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Alex.” The drummer does likewise.

“And you know me, I’m Luke!” The band leader finishes with a winning smile.

Not long after the introductions, the band dives back into practice again with a run through more warmups before their usual lineup of songs. For the two fans, it’s a rare chance and the closest thing to attending a live studio rehearsal. 

The sounds, blending pop and peppy rock, are full and pure. The bandmates sing with melodic voices, rich with dulcet tones. With a unique blend of focus and fun, it’s evident that they are determined and passionate about their music. 

Naturally, Julie and Flynn have all the lyrics memorized. The songs seem to be carrying them away to another world as the symphony of rock blossoms in the virtual room. Hearts hammering with excitement, the connection in the room is palpable. As unreal as it seems to be in a (virtual) room with their favorite band, they’re filled with nothing but raw delight at the upbeat spark and energy the music brings. 

Julie wants to imagine it’s real, even if it feels like a dream. They sing their hearts out together in a half-real glitz of bright music. The songs oscillate from liltingly soft ballads to thumping pop-rock anthems. The band exemplifies a true team, together as one. 

It’s almost perfect. Julie closes her eyes and feels lost in the music, in the best way possible.

Finally, the end of the practice session nears, as they decide to take a break. 

Alex goes AFK for a few minutes, a muted ‘idle’ icon appearing next to his username. To let off extra energy, Reggie starts bouncing around off the walls of the in-game room while wearing a pair of moon boots, as Flynn watches with intrigue. Julie sips some water in real life. It’s a relaxed, chill atmosphere, not unlike a group of friends just hanging out in the game on a typical weekend.

Julie spies an upright piano on the far side of the studio. The instrument shimmers with an otherworldly glow. She opens the cover, runs her fingers along the keys, and tentatively tries a few notes. It responds to her touch as naturally as a real world piano would, its bright sounds echoing in the chamber.

She tries a few chords, then a scale or two. Her fingers find the correct positions and tempo for one of her favorite pop songs. Softly, she begins to sing. Piano covers are a favorite pastime of hers, despite the fact that she rarely performs them in front of others.

Luke approaches the piano, watching her play with curious eyes. Her muscles tense up at his gaze, but she soon relaxes and feels herself being immersed within her music. His presence is both comforting and nerve wracking at the same time. He gives her an encouraging smile. Emboldened by this, Julie perseveres.

Her voice nestles in a cocoon of comfort as she plays with the weight of unspoken memories. The piano melody swells with muted joy. Deep down, she knows she’s capable of so much more vocal heft, but tonight she keeps the tones soft as she swirls together the musical inspirations from her past. 

Inspired by memories, Julie sings with heart and grace, channeling her mother’s spirit and her musical legacy. No matter how much time passes, the woman who made the greatest impact to her life lives on, in every song she plays. 

The song fades out with an elegant flourish. A moment of silence fills the space. Julie raises her head and notices the others have been listening this whole time. Flynn gives her a big thumbs up. Alex and Reggie are stunned. 

Finally, Luke breaks the silence with a hushed question. “Would you happen to have played at the Echo Lounge last night?” 

“Why, yes” Julie folds her hands in her lap and turns to stare at him, amazed.

“You...were...amazing.” He can’t stress his astonishment enough. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”

“What a coincidence.” A gentle smile tugs at her lips. 

For the briefest but longest of moments, they stare at each other. Julie looks up at him as he leaned on the piano gazing down at her in amazement. It’s a sudden and familiar happenstance, as if each recognizes a kindred spirit in the other, bonded through music.

“Hey, who’s that?” Flynn’s voice echoes from the other side of the spacious studio. 

Breaking their gaze, they both turn to look at her and the direction she points. In fact, everyone now turns their attention to the door.

The hem of a shadowy cloak whips out of sight, as the door slams shut with a sudden thud. Julie raises her eyebrows. Flynn looks perplexed. The band members give each other a sudden, knowing look as if to say, “This is not good”. 

Whoever this newcomer is, they certainly weren’t part of the band. 

Wordlessly, Alex takes off after the unexpected visitor, with Reggie following close behind. Luke gives Julie a regretful look before going to join them out the door. Julie and Flynn, though confused, turn to follow. They break into a run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year! Please enjoy.


	5. 5

It’s oddly silent, the way they run. Just a feature of being in the game.

In real life, Julie would be panting and struggling to catch up, like the times she was sometimes late for school. Her sneakers would slap the sidewalk pavement, as she hurried all out of breath to class, arriving with flushed cheeks. 

But in HoloDream, there’s just the vibration of the controllers and the faint fading of the corners of her vision into blackness, as her stamina bar drops.

The chase leads them outdoors, to the great virtual city beyond the studio.

Neon signs dazzle in the night, splashing the background with every color of the rainbow. Floating vehicles zip through the air. Tall buildings stretch up impossible high. The city lights up with an otherworldly glow in the night hours. Effervescent players chatting in voice or text bubbles to each other, speaking emoji-laden lingo like a foreign language.

In pursuit of their studio spy, the band is determined to catch up. The confused ones, Julie and Flynn, lag slightly behind. They run, jump, scale over street cars, and dash over pedestrian crossings, like a scene in an action movie.

This city is almost too clean of a place, indicating its state of unreality. Immaterial.

Usually, Julie feels a thrill of excitement every time she visits a place like this. No matter how long she spends in the game, the downtown region never fails to dazzle her. Hanging out in the clubs or game arcades here with her friends had felt like home.

But the mood in the air is tense and determined. The three guys are leading the way, and Luke is in front.

“Woah!” Reggie stop, then curses silently, as he nearly runs into the street, narrowing missing getting hit by a passing sports car, driven by some reckless player. There’s no speed limit in the game and sometimes players go a little overboard.

“Where is he?” Alex groans. They look left and right at the intersection.

“I’ve pinpointed his locations to these coordinates.” Flynn expertly pulls up her console, enters a few commands. Experienced players like Flynn excel in certain hacker-savvy game tactics, though of course, illegal or extreme things are banned and under heavy security by HoloDream. 

The sophisticated, 3-D radar map she pulls up quickly draws everyone’s attention. The blinking red dot shows the unknown person’s location, moving further and further away from their current spot.

“This way!” Luke scans the map and points down a narrow side street. 

They head down the narrower alleyway. This street is darker and less illuminated compared to the main road, which had bustled with nightlife of players and vehicles. Shuttered storefronts and other abandoned areas of the loomed in the darkness, almost like the atmosphere has changed to that of a horror game.

They’re struggling to keep pursuit as the red dot on the map increases its distance. Finally, the alleyway comes to an end. It’s a walled off part of the game, an impenetrable barrier ahead of them, blocking off further access, as if the game developers didn’t add any explorable areas beyond this point. Some pixels almost seem to disintegrate into the air, as if this part of the game is incomplete or glitched out.

“Damn!” Reggie swears again. “Sorry.” He apologizes to the girls.

“We lost him...” Julie sighs.

“But how he’d get past this fence?” Luke eyes it with confusion.

Flynn shows the map again, and the dot has disappeared completely, nowhere to be found.

“Did he break the laws of the game?” Julie wonders out loud. Her stamina bar is low, but slowly filling up again. The group’s stamina is all exhausted, so they take a moment to rest. 

“Maybe this wasn’t a player at all, but an admin? Or a hacker?” Flynn finally suggests. Whispers of hackers or rumors of some in-game viruses have floated around for months. 

“Bobby.” Alex growls with frustration. He pounds a fist to the wall. Everyone turns to him. Julie and Flynn look at each other, confused. 

“Who?” Julie asks tentatively. The tension in the air with the three guys is palpable. 

Luke sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

“He left our band to go solo a year ago. Stole some of our song ideas and took them as his own. Maybe he’s come back and at it again to watch us. Wouldn’t have been the first time he’s tried.” 

“He’s betrayed us,” Reggie mutters. 

“Still, I wonder how he did it,” Flynn looks at the barrier again, with a discerning eye.

Julie fidgets a little, unsure of what to say. Reggie kicks at the ground. Flynn opens her inventory system.

“Here, let’s go this way,” says Luke. He puts on a brave smile, despite the awkwardness. 

He grips her hand and suddenly the two of them are running sideways, horizontally scaling a building easier than Spiderman. Julie giggles with surprise. They all seemed so serious just a moment ago. She looks behind her and sees the rest of them jumping, leaping, and having fun. Laughing. Sometimes, the fun of a game comes from breaking the laws of real life. Gravity being one of them. Giddy with excitement, she leaps ahead and sees they’re nearing the roof. 

At the roof, a tall, metallic bridge connects two of the city buildings. It’s adorned with festive lights, and gleams with a futuristic glow.

“Well, let’s go,” Luke grins. Julie can’t help but feel excited back. They climb onto the bridge and sit with their legs dangling downwards, staring down at the colorful scene below. While Julie knows it’s just a game, she feels a slightly adrenaline rush of vertigo looking down from hundreds of feet above the ground.

“Hey, look!” Reggie points excitedly upwards, almost like a kid. A dazzling fireworks show paints the sky. Red, green, gold, and electric blue sparkles dance like embers. Despite the tension of just a few moments ago, everyone pauses in silence to take a long look. 

“Wow.” Luke cranes his head, amazed. 

After some time, a constant and rhythmic sound interrupts the moment. A thumping bass beat vibrates below them. The bridge quakes slightly from the beat. A nightclub is right below them.

“Should we go check it out?” Alex asks.

“Is that even a question, dude?” Reggie floats down first, almost ghost like in the way he glides. There’s no fall damage in the game, so they’re free to leap off whatever they want without damaging their HP.

“Ready?” Luke grins at Julie. She nods and he winks back. “See ya at the bottom then!” 

Julie braces herself, swings her legs, and lets herself fall down the bridge to the street below. A realistic rush of wind and a whirl of color and buildings later, she lands with a soft whump on the sidewalk below. Flynn lands right beside her, and they high five with giddiness.

They turn their attention to the source of the sound. The entrance to a most exclusive club beckons, lit with swirling, flashing orbs and designs. Stepping inside, the dance floor gives off a colorful, retro vibe like a scene from the 1980s. Players dance around them, bopping their avatars’ heads to the beat. Jostled around, everyone is virtually anonymous. Some are wearing masks, like a giant bunny head, to decorate their character. It’s darker than the street outside, and Julie feels a little dizzy from the flashing lights. 

“Welcome, welcome. Come with me,” A uniformed avatar, presumably a club employee, tugs at Luke’s hand. It’s a generic avatar, one often used by bots and not players. Luke stares quizzically, shrugs, and follows the bot. The group follows him, everyone holding onto each other like a chain so as not to get lost amongst the crowd on the dance floor. 

Julie catches a glimpse of a gilded sign near the back. _VIP Lounge._

 _Okay, why are we going to the VIP Lounge?_ She’s never even heard of this club. She can’t shake the odd feeling but feels safe with the group.

Finally, they arrive in the back room. They follow the bot down a long, plush hallway lined with ornate decorations. Nonetheless, the place gives off an ominous vibe. “What are we doing here?” whispers Flynn. Reggie shrugs.

The final room is huge, but empty. An avatar of a man sits in an enormous leather chair with his back to them.

“Welcome, Sunset Curve. I’ve had my eye on you for some time now.” A mysterious voice echoes.

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
